Tube-making method and apparatus



' 2 1927. l April] 6 J. v. JAMES TUBE MAKING'METHOD AND AlfARATus Filed'April 21. 19,25 s Sheng-'Sheet 1 f1 M2275 EPEE Ffa/125,5'

J. V. JAMES TUBE MAKING METHOD AND APPARATUS April Z6 ,r 1927. .'r

Filed April 21, 1925 s "Sheetslsneet NN Si www, hm 1| Q 4 1- 5 M N NM nw Qn 1111111111111111 I+.: F-Ff ,NM SQ wN QW w3 Sw vm mm @u Nm J. v.JAMES TUBE MAKING METHOD ND APPARATUS Filed April 2.1, 1925 5Sheets-Sheet '3 Patented. Apr. 26, A1927.'

JAMES V. JAMES., F AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'TO THIIEI- B. F. GODRICHCOMPANY, OF

` NEW YORK, N.

Y., A CORPORATION `OF NEW YORK.

meen-MAKING METHOD 'AND APPARATUS.

Application filed April 21, 1925. Serial No. 24,778.

` strip form, as from a calendar.

Heretofore it has been proposed to feed a stock strip c'ontinuously'froma calendar into a storage loop, to feed the stock from the delivery sideof thestorage loop Vin intermittent movements, and to sever the stripinto tube blanks and to roll the blanks on successive mandrels betweensuch feeding 'movement`s, but such practice as heretofore proposedhashad the imperfection that in order to provide successive blanks insuitably spaced apart relation 'on their support,

for 'rolling the mandrel thereon without contact of the mandrel with thenext blank, it has been necessary to cut out and remove zones of stockbetween the successive blanks. My chief object is to provide improved-procedure and apparatus whereby the blanks may be severed from thecontinuous strip of stock and so fed' forward from the severing,position to a tube rolling position that leach vblank will be supportedat the rolling position in spaced-apart relation to the next followingblank, without requiring that zonesk of stock be cut out and removedfrom between adjacent blanks and without shifting the position of theblank with relation to the supporting surface upon which it lies. A moregeneral' object is .to provide improved procedure and apparatus formanipulating'strip material.

' In the attainment of` these objects my invention-'cdmprises an'endless conveyor belt or the like adapted to convey theforwardy'portion of the continuous strip past' a severing position, inintermittent movements, and a second intermittently driven .endlessconveyor belt or the like adapted to vstep each severed blank ahead ofthe mainbody of the'strip, so that each blank will bedeterminatelyspaced apart, on said' second belt, from the following blank, the secondbelt being adapted 'to receive the successive blanks from the iirst beltand carry them to and support them at Aa determinate rolling position. yl

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figs. l and 1A together constitute a side `the belt is provided bybodying and adapted to' carry out -my invention, parts being brokenaway.

Fig 2 is a section,` onv line 2-2 of Fig. 4; of one of the tube blanksand a mandrel in position to be rolled thereon.

` Fig. 3 is a frag'fmentary` perspective view of one of the mandrels,with a tube rolled Y thereon. Y

Figs. L and 4A together constitute a plan view of the apparatus.-

Fig. 5 is a plan view of drive mechanism constituting a part of thesame.

Ielevation of the preferred apparatus em# Fig. 6 is a vertical sectionon a large scale, I

of a portion of the drive mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a side. elevation, on a large scale, of timing means fordetermining the rela@ tive movementsof the carrier belts; Referring tothe drawings, the apparatus comprises an endless carrier belt l0 mountedatits. receiving end upon a large-diameter drive roll 11, at 'itsvdelivery end upon a small-diameteridler end-roll 12, vand passing aboutan idler guide .r ll 13 adjacent the drive rollll, so that economy ofspace is effected bythe proximity o'f the upper and lower reachesof thebelt throughout the greater part of their length and at the same timeeifective driving engagement with reason of the large diameter of thedrive roll 411 and its engagement with the belt throughout the greaterpart of its circumference.

The said rolls are journaled in suitable framing 14 and the shaft, 15,of thedrive rnll 11, on which saidroll is secured, also has securedthereon a sprocket 16 connected by a sprocket chain 17 with a sprocket18 secured upon the shaft ofa roll 19 which is journaled at an elevatedposition in brackets 20a, 20a 20, the-roll 19 being adapted to beinterlmittentlyI driven, through the chain 1"?, to

withdraw a continuous strip of sheeted'rubber stock 21 from a storageloop 22 of said stock: Said storage loop is supported at 'its receivingside by' an idler roll 23 journaled in the brackets 20, and is providedwith a floating roll 24- for continuously drawing the strip into thestorage loop, past cooling rolls 25, 26, from the delivery belt 27/of a'calendar (not shown).

The floating roll l24 is journaled in the secured upon an arch standardarms of a yoke 28,

said arms slidably fitting in vertical guideways 29, 29 formed intheinner faces of the legs of Vthe arch standard as shown in Fig. 4, andthe l yoke is providedv 'with a stem 30 slidably formed in the top ofthe arch standard'20,`

extending upward through a guide aperture the yoke and its stem thus.having three point contact with'the arch standard so that -Ythe ioatingroll is constrained to relmain in a horizontal position and is preventedfrom cramping as it risesand falls with the shortening andthe elongationof the storage loop.

A guide roll 19a receiving end of adapted to compel the stockstrip tomove vertically downward from theroll 19 and then pass horizontally ontothe belt, so as to prevent variation inthe line of feed of the strip, asan vincident of varying tension in the strip-imposed` by inertia of the,rising and falling of the oating roll 24, vand so as to assure properarea of driving enga-gement between thel belt ,and the strip.

For receiving. the successive blanks, 31, 31, from the intermittentcarrier belt 10 and conve 'in them,. n s aced/f'aj` art relation to y gP P v the tube-rolling'positiong//an ,endless belt 32 has its receivingend portion .under the delivery end of the beltl lfb/land extends incontinuation of the *iWork-carrying course thereof, said belt 32 beingmounted, similarly to the belt 10, upon an idler delivery end-roll33.(Fig. 1A), idler guide lrolls 35,

a drive roll 34, and 36, journaled' in the framing 14.

I ,drel-and-tube 'assembly thereover,- as they pass from the belt 32, toapply soapstone,

ing of the mandrel, 38, upon latter about the mandrel as a tube,4 39,thereon,and alongside `of said table and only and adapted for therolling of the manfrom a supply sprinkled upon the apron, to the,exterior of the tube. f i

" For intermittently driving thecarrier belt 10 a ratchet 41 is securedupon the shaft 15 as a twin with a pinion i 32 a ratchet48 is securedupon the shaft 34.a

brackets l4G, 47 projecting .645. driven byspring pawls`49, 49 on of thedrive roll 11 and is adaptedv to be driven by spring pawls 42, 42 on apawl carrier 43 loosely journaledupon said shaft l44-meshed with a rackbar 45 slidablymountedin guide 't'rom the framing 14. A

For intermittently driving the carrier'belt of the drive roll 34 and 1sadapted to be carrier 50 loosely journaled on said shaft as is mountedadjacent the. the carrier belt -10. and

latch 75 mounted thereon,-

' tensive- 'a slide,

a twin with a pinion 51 meshed with arack bar 52 slidably mounted4 inguide brackets 53, 54 projecting from the framing 14. The forward end otsaidrack bar is secured to..4 a slide or cross-head '55 mounted in4'guides 56, 56 secured tothe framing, and for actuating said slide .thesame is-provided with `a connecting rod 57 having its other end pivotedon a crank-pin assembly 58 adjust# ably secured in a slot 59 formed in alever()` which has its upper end pivoted at v61 to the top of -adrive-gear fraih'ef62 mounted j adjacent the` framing 14.l The rmiddleportion of the lever 60 is formedwith a longitudinal'slot 63 in whichis-slidably mounted .S0 a crank-pin block 64 mounted upon a crank pinassembly 65 which is adjustably secured y to` a crank-arm gear frame 62.

For driving the s cured thereon is'ffcnnected, through a 1 sprocketchain 6 9, a worm-gear speed reduc# tiondevice 7 0, a sprocket chain 71,a variable speed drivedevice 72, and a clutch 7 3,'-.with a motor 74. f

For actuating the` rackfbar 45 to drive the carrier {belt-,10.intermittently? in Vtimed rela-- tion` to the intermittent .drivingofthecar a sprocket 68;y se# rier belt 32byjtherack-bar 52, the *forwards 95end of thefracl-fbar 4 5 is adapted to be' en` gaged and released by theslide 55. anda at a determinate position inthe pathvof' said slide, sothat in each reciprocatlon ofthe slide the belt 10-100 will not begin'to` be driven until. after the belt 32 has started and, since the vdriveratios.

of the two belt-driving mechanisms are the v seme,vwill not be driventhroughout so veixmovement as-that of the belt32. i105 The slide 55 isformed with a tapered"y socket7 6 to lreceiveandcenter the end 77 of therack bar 45,;which is complementa-Hy tapered.. Thezlatch isform'edas'avbellcrank-lever landv is-.pivoted on the slide at 1104 .78, one armvextending toward the rack-barV 45 and being formed*as-acamdatchto en-.i gage in la vnotch 79.1'formed `in. said rackbar, and the other armextending vertically, being urged toward latching position spring-backedplunger 8.0 vmounted in the and being adapted4 tof be thrown tounlatching p osition,'fatv a determinate position in the forward,idlestroke of the slide, bya weight pawlln mounted upon a plate 12 '82which-is adjustably secured tothe framing- 14 by .bo`ts 83, 83 mountedin slots84, 84 in said plate; A :stop 85 projectingfrom the' plate 82is. adapted'to engage the weightedarm' of the pawl v81 to hold in Fig.2, is' led about the rolls 26, 25,I 13 0 66 secured upon the projectfing end of a shaft `jou'rnaled inthe drive- 2 the pawl 12.5"

- 24, 19, and 19a and onto .the carrier belt 10,l

as shown lclearly in Fig. l. The motor 74E, through the intermediategearing described, continuousy drives the shaft 67 and crankarm. 66, andthe crank-pin block 64, sliding in the slot 63 ofthe lever 60 as thecrankarm revolves, imparts a continuously reciprocating motion to theslide 55 and the rack-bar 52 attached thereto, the carrier-A bel't 32thereby being caused to be-'driven during the leftward stroke of theslide as viewed in the drawings, and being permitted t0 remain still,the pawls 49 running free on the ratchet 48, during the return orrightward stroke of the slide. The slide-actuating mechanism is ofsimple and economical construction and is such as toprovide thenecessary long movement of the slide With economy of -space for the saidmechanism.

Shortly after the carrierbelt 32 starts veach such movement, the slide"and latch v75 engage the rack-bar 4-5 and thus'the slide drives thecarrier belt l0 during the rest of its leftvvard stroke. In the returnor right- @Ward stroke of the slide, during which the carrier belt 10Astands still, the latch 75 returns the rack-bar 45 to its originalposition, where it is released by the action -of the pawl Slupon saidlatch.

In the first feeding movements of the two belts, which move at equalspeeds, the stock strip is fed from belt'l() onto belt 32 and itsleading end portion is carried forward by i the latter. lVhen the 'twobelts stop, simultaneously, upon the beginningv of the slides return oridle stroke, an operatorv severs the strip, as by the use of a cuttingblock 86 and cutter 87, at a severing position, whichl may be gaged byVa mark 88 upon 'the framing, at a determinate, short distance from thedelivery end of the belt 10. In the succeeding feeding movementiof thebelts, the belt 32 starting before the belt 1() starts, the severedblank 31 is stepped a determinate distance ahead of the main body of thestrip',

the end portion of the latter dragging u on` the belt 32 until the belt10 starts, and t en being fed onto the belt 32 andcarried forwardthereby With its leading end determinately positioned thereon inspaced-apart relation to the preceding blank. The feed- 37, andwhileeaclrblank isthus supported it is picked -up on one of the mandi-els 38,as a tube thereon, by lrolling the mandrel upon the blank. The tube withthe mandrel. therein is 'then soapstoned b v rolling itwon" the apron 40and is thenremoved for vulcanization.

- By means of the 'variable speed device .72 the speed of the carrierbelts is so controlled as to accord with the speed of the deli-very ofthe strip 2l from the calender and thus keep the iioating roll 24 Withina proper range of movement.

While a single unit of strip-manipulating mechanism is herein described,it'Will be ob"- vious that my invention -is not limited to a single.strip-feeding unit for each calender and driving mechanism, calendersbeing usually of such Width as to call for a duplication of parts hereindescribed for utilizing the full capacity ofthe calender.

Modifications may be resorted to Within the scope of my invention, and Ido not Wholly limit my claims 'to the specific procedure or constructiondescribed.

' I claim: i

'1. The method of manipulating tacky sheet material in strip form whichcomprises feeding a continuous strip thereof onto a support While movingsaid'support at sub` stantially equal speed with the feeding movement ofthe material, severing from so 'A said continuous strip a length thereoflying upon said support, ,stepping forward the .severed l'ength/ tospace it determinately from the rest of the strip by movement of saidsupport,l andso Arepeating the said operations as to deposlt successivelengths of said vmaterial in determinate space-apart relation onsaid'support. v

2. A method as defined .in claim 1 in which the feeding of the striponto the support is intermittent and the successive Severedlengths arecarried to a determinate working positionand there stopped byintermittent moving and stopping of the support in timed relation to theintermittent feeding of the strip onto the support.v

3. The method of making rubber tubes Which'comprises feeding a strip ofsheeted rubber stock to a tube-rolling position, severing it into blankson its Way to said tube- I rolling'position, the leading end portion ofthe strip,` being fed in intermittent movements timed with the severingoperation and the severed blanks'being. fed in intermittent movements ofsuch relative length and so vtimed as to step each severed blank aheadof the, next and` support it in spaced relation-thereto at the rollingposition, and there rollingthc successive blanksupon mandrels in theform of tubes thereon.

ll. The method ojl` making rubber tubes which comprises continuouslyforming a strip of sheeted rubber' stock, feeding it from formingposition to a vtube-rolling position. severing it into blanks on its wayto said tube-rolling position, the severed blanks being stepped ahead ofeacliother so nthateach arrives at the tube-rolling poas the movementsof thetirst conveyor.

ing the second. conveyorl in intermittent movements longer but of thesame vspeed '6. Tube-making apparatus comprising means for supplyingfJcontinuous strip of sheeted rubberstock, means for'feeding4 the strip:from-said means to a severing-,posi-vv tion, andmeansfor feeding toantuberolling position'succe'ssive blanks severed from the continuousstrip at the severing position, the I y vtubes, two feeders adaptedfto'eev la continuous )sheet l#of compoundedjrubberjmafr y n second feedingmeans being adapted to step'4 each blank ahead of the nekt as iteedsgthe blank from the `severing position and tosupport the blankssuccessivelv in position for the rolling of mandrels thereon.`

?, Tube-making apparatus comp'rsinga conveyor belt adapted tofeedacontinuousstrip of material longitudinallyfrom'it's de"k. p v

Vpendently of the f. other .tovprovidev a'space livery end, meansfordriving said beltiixideterminate,intermittentv movements2 a secondconveyor beltadapted to receive the strip material from therst-belt and?means fo'rdriving the secondbeIt-iu intermittent movements of the samespeed a's'those of the first belt but each so timed las to start be- 'ata determinate position in'its stroke.

J 1,626,4r 1Q l fore and'continue concurrentlywith a movev ment ofthefirst belt. l y v8.-'l`ube-m'aking. apparatus. as defined im claim 5 inwhich the driving means comprises rack-and-pinion devices for driving 40the-respective conveyors and means comi mon .to the two racks foractuating the same,

'the saidUrack-actuating. means being adapted'to engage and disengageone of the racks 9. Tube-,making apparatus as 'defined in` claim 7 in'which the driving'means c0m'l l' prises rack-andjpinion devices yfordriving.

the respectivev conveyors,`a slide oractuating. thetwo -racks, aconnecting rod pivoted 50, i

-tojsaid slide and to; a'lever7 and 'a .crank having its'outerend'conne'cted to` said lever andl adapted to oscillatesaidleverfat:each

revolutiongof the crank.

l0. In an apparatus for makin` `-rubber 55 terialysaid feeders beingImovable"at/ the same time and 'at the vsame speed 't ad# Vance an endportion 4of the sheet, cutting 00 means whereby said-end portion issevered from thersheet,4 and operatingmeans whereby one otsaid -feedersis .actuated inde.

v. JAMES.

the por- 65

